When it became known that the gendarmerie was leaving its training centre on the corner of Kroonlaan and Generaal Jacqueslaan in Ixelles, both the Brussels Region and the sister universities ULB and VUB were quick to acquire and repurpose this area in 2015. Usquare is the name given to the domain since then. Usquare aims to transform the 4-hectare enclave, once separated from the outside world by heavy walls, into a lively neighbourhood with university facilities, student accommodation and fablabs, as well as a food hall, (social) housing and community facilities.

Thanks to funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the universities took the lead: with the support of the Brussels Chief Architect, they organised the first architectural competition for the renovation of the central riding school and the imposing buildings A, B and C along Generaal Jacqueslaan (1906). The latter buildings form the face of the site. The consortium of BC Architects & Studies, evr-architecten, Callebaut Architecten and VK architects engineers won the competition in 2018. They opted for a radical circular construction approach, adding a new dimension to the site. (See also A 299). Meanwhile, the renovation of buildings A, B and C is almost complete. The result exceeds even the wildest expectations.